From a seat in the rear of the room, observe your students and take notes on what they are doing while the teacher is presenting in the front of the room, while they are supposed to be taking notes, doing seatwork, and/or when they are working in the lab. Look closely at each student for a range of behaviors, and resist the temptation on only see what you expect. Note especially what is happening furthest from the teacher.
In the eighth grade classroom I am observing, while the teacher is presenting, I have noticed students are fairly attentive and responsive to what the teacher is explaining. Whether they are taking notes, listening to directions given by the teacher, or doing some type of class work, their behavior is reasonably good. With class sections not having a large number of students within them, there are some empty desks not filled by students. As the classroom orientation is set up in rows, it yields many benefits for the students as well as the teacher. When the teacher is lecturing with notes from the content, rows allow for the teacher to walk in between desks. Using proximity, the teacher is allowed to walk around the room and be amongst the students as the lecture is being given. Students furthest from where the teacher may be within the classroom are generally not entirely focused on what is being explained. Again, however, the use of the teachers proximity when walking around the classroom causes students to focused again.
Some of the benefits from having a classroom set up in rows is that teachers can walk through these rows to monitor students progress with their work. Easy access to reaching these students is important when conversing with them about assignments, helping them with their work, as well as collecting any work. This use of this proximity also allows the deterrence of any potential misbehavior, as the students know they are constantly being monitored throughout the class period. When teachers consistently walk around their classroom, and do not only restrict themselves to the front of their classroom, students are aware to be on good behavior. I see this frequently in the classroom I am observing, as students are on better behavior when in the classroom because they know their teachers is constantly using proximity to monitor their progress. When my cooperating teacher is amongst the students during class, it allows for students to be further engaged in what is being learned. I feel that because my cooperating teacher is amongst the students while lecturing or explaining directions, students are more responsive and more apt to participate, therefore increasing their engagement within the class. Within my future classroom, student engagement will be vital to the overall success of my students. By posing interesting and critical thinking questions and prompts to my students, their participation directed towards interest with understanding the content.
In the eighth grade classroom I am observing, while the teacher is presenting, I have noticed students are fairly attentive and responsive to what the teacher is explaining. Whether they are taking notes, listening to directions given by the teacher, or doing some type of class work, their behavior is reasonably good. With class sections not having a large number of students within them, there are some empty desks not filled by students. As the classroom orientation is set up in rows, it yields many benefits for the students as well as the teacher. When the teacher is lecturing with notes from the content, rows allow for the teacher to walk in between desks. Using proximity, the teacher is allowed to walk around the room and be amongst the students as the lecture is being given. Students furthest from where the teacher may be within the classroom are generally not entirely focused on what is being explained. Again, however, the use of the teachers proximity when walking around the classroom causes students to focused again.
Some of the benefits from having a classroom set up in rows is that teachers can walk through these rows to monitor students progress with their work. Easy access to reaching these students is important when conversing with them about assignments, helping them with their work, as well as collecting any work. This use of this proximity also allows the deterrence of any potential misbehavior, as the students know they are constantly being monitored throughout the class period. When teachers consistently walk around their classroom, and do not only restrict themselves to the front of their classroom, students are aware to be on good behavior. I see this frequently in the classroom I am observing, as students are on better behavior when in the classroom because they know their teachers is constantly using proximity to monitor their progress. When my cooperating teacher is amongst the students during class, it allows for students to be further engaged in what is being learned. I feel that because my cooperating teacher is amongst the students while lecturing or explaining directions, students are more responsive and more apt to participate, therefore increasing their engagement within the class. Within my future classroom, student engagement will be vital to the overall success of my students. By posing interesting and critical thinking questions and prompts to my students, their participation directed towards interest with understanding the content.